The effects of modern treaties and opt-in legislation on household incomes in Aboriginal communities

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Résumé (français)

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Résumé (anglais)

We use data from the Canadian Censuses (1991-2006) and National Household Survey (2011) to examine how household incomes vary across Aboriginal communities with and without modern agreements. These agreements include self-government, comprehensive land claims and opt-in legislation regarding financial and land management authority. Using a difference-in-difference regression methodology, we find that standalone comprehensive land claims agreements, both with and without associated self government agreements, are associated with income gains for Aboriginal households, primarily through increased labour income. Joint opt-in arrangements combining fiscal and land management authority are associated with smaller income gains. But, other agreement types are not associated with increased household incomes. We also find evidence of continued income growth for CLCAs in the medium term. Finally, we find that income gains-where they are found-are much larger for non-Aboriginal households than for Aboriginal households.